A Reckless Rescue and a Lingering Question

“Thwack!”

Caught between the multi-pronged assault and Zhen Aoyu’s treacherous sneak attack, Fei Miaoyun ultimately had no time to react and was struck.

“Poison?!”

Mere seconds later, the spot where the hidden weapon had struck quickly blossomed into a sickening purple.

“Now, let’s see what you’ll do.”

Having finally succeeded, Zhen Aoyu exhaled a slight breath of relief.

Even with her cultivation suppressed to the early Foundation Establishment stage, Fei Miaoyun’s formidable strength was not to be underestimated.

Had he not exercised extreme caution, meticulously setting up a triple layer of formations, Fei Miaoyun might well have turned the tables and slain him instead.

But now, securing Fei Miaoyun, who had already succumbed to the venom he meticulously concocted with his own hands, was merely a matter of time.

In less than ten breaths, her spiritual energy would seize, and Fei Miaoyun would be utterly consumed by an unending deluge of snakes, ants, mosquitoes, and other vile insects, forced to endure the agony of ten thousand creatures gnawing at her flesh!

“Hmph, though I haven’t plunged Fei Miaoyun into the deepest despair, the torment of ten thousand creatures gnawing at her flesh will be excruciating nonetheless. My dear master, revel in your suffering. Hahahaha!”

“Ugh…”

As the poison coursed through her veins, Fei Miaoyun’s reactions grew increasingly sluggish.

She had lost count of the myriad bites inflicted by the venomous creatures.

Yet, she clung on, fiercely resisting.

“Heheheh, boy, your master’s constitution is far from ordinary.

Why not first make her a ‘true woman’ before sending her on her way? That might just amplify her despair, and perhaps even strengthen the Dao foundation forged by the Absolute Resentment Heavenly Art.”

As he watched Fei Miaoyun’s dying struggles, a shadowy figure drifted forth from the ring on Zhen Aoyu’s neck, observing Fei Miaoyun with an unsettling interest before speaking.

“Hmph! I’ve told you before, my affairs are none of your concern! Yet, your suggestion is rather… intriguing. Why did you not inform me of this sooner?”

Zhen Aoyu harbored no affection whatsoever for the shadowy entity residing within his ring.

What good could possibly come from a being capable of cultivating the Absolute Resentment Heavenly Art?

“You never asked. Besides, wasn’t your prior plan simply to subdue her? Whether I spoke or not would have made no difference, would it?”

“You had better be truthful in that assessment.”

Casting a wary glance at the indistinct shadowy figure, Zhen Aoyu heeded its counsel, intending to first ascertain the unique properties of Fei Miaoyun’s constitution.

Even as he had observed Fei Miaoyun nearing her exhaustion, Zhen Aoyu, having just deactivated the mist formation, distinctly heard the sound of something shattering.

As Zhen Aoyu fixed his gaze, he witnessed Fei Miaoyun, her body marred by countless injuries, crushing the very bracelet imbued with Xia Yi’s essence.

“Crack…”

The crisp, clear sound of something shattering echoed piercingly in Zhen Aoyu’s ears.

[Reward: Vast Righteous Sword Intent (Two-Fifths)]

Before he could even process Fei Miaoyun’s actions, the shadowy figure hovering behind him abruptly cried out.

“Boy, dodge, now!!”

The shadow’s urgent warning detonated in Zhen Aoyu’s ears, and without a moment for conscious thought, his body instinctively rolled aside.

Though utterly disheveled, that instinctive movement undeniably saved his life.

He had barely managed to roll clear when a terrifying, vast sword qi, akin to the enraged roar of a hundred-ton behemoth, surged past, narrowly grazing Zhen Aoyu’s leg.

“Boom!”

The terrifying Vast Righteous Sword Qi tore through everything in its path, utterly annihilating all the formations he had meticulously laid out. Even the swarms of insects, snakes, ants, and mosquitoes summoned by those formations were pulverized into dust alongside them.

The sword qi halted steadfastly before Fei Miaoyun, lingering for a moment before gradually dissipating into nothingness.

Following the trajectory of the Vast Righteous Sword Qi, at the terminus of a sword-scarred trench stretching for several miles, a youth in white robes adorned with golden patterns stood poised, a sword clutched in hand, his gaze icily fixed upon Zhen Aoyu.

Zhen Aoyu’s eyes widened, bloodshot, his face contorted into a grotesque snarl as he shrieked the youth’s name.

“Xia Yi!!!!”

It was him, again!

This accursed individual, once more, had ruined his efforts at the most critical juncture.

He was the chosen protagonist, the cherished darling of heaven and earth, the destined inheritor of the Absolute Resentment Heavenly Art.

How could he possibly suffer defeat at the hands of the same person, twice in succession!

“Give me your power!!!”

Interrupted by Xia Yi yet again at such a pivotal moment, Zhen Aoyu’s sanity frayed, then snapped.

As he lunged murderously towards Xia Yi, he simultaneously demanded power from the shadowy figure.

However, the shadowy figure’s silence was his only response, persisting even as a colossal, explosive wave of Vast Righteous Sword Qi from Xia Yi cleaved towards him.

Only then did Zhen Aoyu truly grasp the chasm of power separating him from Xia Yi.

Confronting this particular surge of Vast Righteous Sword Qi, imbued with profound sword intent, he understood with chilling clarity that even if the shadowy figure possessed him, he would be utterly incapable of withstanding that strike.

In that instant, Zhen Aoyu felt as though something vital had been irrevocably torn from him.

“Boy, don’t stand there gaping! You’ve witnessed it yourself; this youth is not someone you or I can contend with at our current stage. Retreat swiftly! My energy may not sustain us for much longer!”

Just as Xia Yi’s sword qi was poised to cleave Zhen Aoyu in half, he was enveloped by the shadowy figure, narrowly evading Xia Yi’s assault at the absolute last possible moment.

Xia Yi watched as Zhen Aoyu seamlessly merged into the encroaching darkness, leaving behind only a venomous glare before vanishing entirely from the secret realm.

‘Shadow Escape Art, then…’

Zhen Aoyu’s sudden disappearance did not unduly surprise Xia Yi; after all, Zhen Aoyu was indeed the protagonist.

It was only natural for him to possess a repertoire of life-saving abilities, and with the persistent blessing of providence, attempting to slay him was nigh impossible.

“Martial Aunt!”

With no time to spare for Zhen Aoyu, Xia Yi swiftly moved to Fei Miaoyun’s side, promptly feeding her an antidote pill.

The third-grade antidote pill took effect with remarkable speed, and before long, Fei Miaoyun’s purplish-black skin began to revert to its pristine fairness.

“Martial Aunt, are you unharmed?”

“Xia Yi… I am unharmed…”

Hearing Fei Miaoyun’s assurance, Xia Yi breathed a profound sigh of relief.

“Allow me to carry Martial Aunt to the Starlight Pond.”

“Mm, you have my gratitude, Xia Yi…”

“It’s no trouble. Martial Aunt, please hold on tight; we’re departing now.”

As the immense softness pressed against his back, and the warm, silken touch met his hands, Xia Yi’s heart gave a faint, involuntary flutter.

“Martial Aunt, why did you not immediately crush the bracelet I gave you?”

Xia Yi, bearing the somewhat weakened, voluptuous beauty who clung to his back, swiftly hastened towards the towering mountain.

“This was, after all, the very first gift Xia Yi bestowed upon me. Naturally, I wished to cherish it dearly.

By the time I managed to react and thought to crush it, I had already been enveloped by Zhen Aoyu’s illusionary formation.

Had he not inexplicably dispelled the illusionary formation, I might not have endured long enough for you to come to my rescue…”

As she spoke, Fei Miaoyun tightened her slender, graceful arms, like lotus roots, around Xia Yi.

Indeed, had Zhen Aoyu not temporarily lifted the illusion, Fei Miaoyun’s fate would have been truly perilous.

Having just endured such a harrowing life-or-death crisis, Fei Miaoyun found that only by clinging to Xia Yi’s sturdy back could she find a modicum of solace.

“Martial Aunt, there’s no need for such sentiments. A mere bracelet is inconsequential compared to your well-being.”

“May I interpret that as a declaration of your affections?”

“Eh?…”

Fei Miaoyun’s words caused Xia Yi to stumble mid-stride, nearly sending him sprawling face-first.

Before Xia Yi could even formulate a response, Fei Miaoyun continued, her voice soft:

“Tell me, Xia Yi. Do you recall the words you spoke when we first met?”

“…”

After a brief silence, Xia Yi felt a faint dampness against his back.

Following a soft sigh, Xia Yi ultimately addressed Fei Miaoyun’s question.

“I remember. I said then: ‘Martial Aunt, you are a foolish woman…’”